After a first reaction to the controversy surrounding the ban on Olympique de Marseille fans at the Luz, for Thursday's European duel against Benfica, the French club issued a statement on Wednesday, signed by President Pablo Longoria, expressing a great sense of revolt at the decision taken by the Eagles to cancel the tickets intended for visiting fans.

"I cannot accept that our fans, who have made enormous sacrifices to come to Portugal, cannot access the visitors' stadium, in order to be present at a time that we all look forward to in this difficult time. We cannot accept a situation that is all the more regrettable as it would contribute to increasing the security risk surrounding the thousands of OM fans who would find themselves at the gates of the Estádio da Luz", the statement reads.

It should be recalled that, due to the punishment applied to Benfica by UEFA, due to the bad behaviour of its fans (with a suspended sentence for two years), the incarnate club ended up being "formally notified by the French authorities of the ban on the presence of fans" in the second leg of the Europa League quarter-finals, in Marseille, and therefore also decided to ban the entry of Olympique Marseille fans, this Thursday, in the first leg.

Here is the full statement:

"European competitions are undoubtedly the salt of our passion. As club managers, as coaches, as players. But also and above all as fans and football enthusiasts. All of us, on the pitch or in the stands, aspire to experience the emotions that a European Champions Cup match provides.

To accompany our team abroad, to discover another culture, another language, another stadium, another football by competing against historic clubs on a European scale: what could be more stimulating and generate more pride? Especially when we wear the OM crest on our suit, on our tracksuit, on our shirt or on our flags.

As president of Olympique de Marseille in an institution that will play tomorrow the 10th 'quarter-finals' of its European history, I cannot accept that our fans, who have made enormous sacrifices to come to Portugal, cannot access the visitors' stadium, in order to be present at a time that we all look forward to in this difficult time. 

I cannot accept a situation that is all the more regrettable as it would contribute to increasing the security risk surrounding the thousands of OM fans who would find themselves at the gates of the Estádio da Luz. 

After having invested personally in all the parties involved and influential in the organization of this double quarter-final, I certainly cannot accept this situation. 

And if we had to reach that point, I would not participate in tomorrow's meeting out of solidarity with our supporters, but also in opposition to the unfair nature of this situation in which everyone must assume their responsibilities.

Despite the time already lost, I believe that it is still possible to come back to reason and make the right decisions"

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